Morningstar : the Northern Light (rpg campaign journal)

[Powersurge]

Morningstar #26

Returning to Canada in the wake of the Graviton Affair, Morningstar received a heroes greeting at Department H. He was quickly debriefed, and even given a pat on the back by General Clarke, before being given leave to go. Nevertheless, the synthoid took an hour out to soak up the glory, and socialize in his own clumbsy manner with various Department personel in the lounge before at last taking his leave.

Making his way back to GenTech in Toronto, the synthoid was likewise warmly greet by both Dr.Stone and Dr.Banks, who nonethless, lost little time in subjecting him to a battery of tests and a thorough psycho-physical examination.

Later that week, Morningstar was the guest of a formal celebration held in honour of himself and Powersurge in Ottawa; the latter of whom had only recently emerged from his comatose state and was still under observation onboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, and so could not attend. Over the course of the evening, Morninstar ran into none other than Tanya Sullivan, who was there covering the event. During the few moments they had together, she reminded Morningstar of their deal and arranged a time and place for an interview with him.

And so it was the following evening that Tanya made her way to GenTech HQ, there to conduct her interview with Morningstar; touching on everything from his initial encounter with Graviton, his month long disappearance in the wake of that encounter, his subsequent reemergence and tussel with the Fantastic Four in New York, and finally his involvement with the U.N.'s Protectors and the Graviton Affair. And with business at last dealt with, Tanya turned the conversation back to the night of Morningstar's first encounter with Graviton and the kiss they'd shared in her apartment; beginning to get a little touchy-feelly with him all the while. Before things could go very far however, the moment was interrupted by the buzz of the reporter's cellphone.

Taking the call, Tanya quickly readopted a professional demeanor, grabbing her purse and gear, and telling the synthoid that a battle had just broken out between a group of hi-tech soldiers and Major Mapleleaf Senior, even as she speed-dialed her cameraman and told him to hussle over there pronto.

She then offered to tell Morningstar where it was if he agreed to take her there.

And so Morningstar sped for the conflict, setting Sullivan down a safe distance away, before proceeding on the final leg of his journey.

Meanwhile, at the battle site, Major Mapleleaf Senior was locked in combat with a squad of Renegades. Sadler Jr. was also present, but had been forced to duck for cover at the onset of the fight, as his father engaged them, until, at length, the oppurtunity to take control of a Renegade energy rifle and mount of offensive of his own at last present itself. While the athletic and well trained young man was successful in this, he nevertheless left himself open to attack and would have been gunned down if not for the timely intervention of his father, who took the blast meant for him.

As Major Mapleleaf Sr. stood stunned from the blast, Junior was again forced to duck for cover as the Renegades began to hose the area down with weapons fire. Major Mapleleaf went down hard, and would certainly have been joined by his son soon after if not for Morningstar's arrival. He protected Major Mapleleaf Jr. with a photon shield before picking up where Senior had left off and taking the fight to the Renegades.

The Renegades however where apparently no longer game for a confrontation an effected a group teleportation after only a brief of skirmish.

Moving to his father's aid, Major Mapleleaf Jr. quickly got on his cellphone and called for an ambulance, before explaining to Morningstar that he and his father had been out at an evening ballgame, had gone for some food thereafter, and were about to call it a night when the Renegades appeared from out of nowhere and attacked them. Before he could go any further however, Morningstar was struck by a massive discharge of electrical energy, followed by a mighty blow that sent him flying some 20' down the street.

Reorienting himself, Morningstar saw that he was confronted by two costumed villains he recognized from the files on his brother Thunder ... Voltiac and Jackhammer.

They revealed that Morningstar, Powersurge and especially "the Mapleleafs" had all been marked for termination by A.I.M. and Fabricators Inc. for their various meddlings. And that their time had just run out.

[Powersurge]

Morningstar #27

With Voltiac and Jackhammer hovering over him, Morningstar was quick to flash with a blinding light. And as they stumbled back and tried to clear the spots from their eyes, the synthoid rose back up to his feet, closed on Jackhammer and clobbered him with a mighty punch.

Unfortunately, the villain was more resilient than he had anticipated, not only absorbing the punch, but striking Morningstar with a solid blow of his own. And this was quickly followed by an electrical attack from Voltiac, which forced the synthoid to fall back and erect a shield of solid light around himself.

Meanwhile Sadler Jr made his way over to Major Mapleleaf, finding him in very rough shape but still conscious. He told his son he'd survived worse than this in his time, and that the lad should get in there and help out the "livin' lightbulb".

While Junior no longer had the Renegade energy rifle -- which had vanished with the rest of the squad during it's group teleport -- he nevertheless moved toward the scuffle without thinking. He saw that Morningstar's shiled had been brought down and the synthoid, while still showing signs of fight, was in the process of weathering a battering from the two villains.

So, picking up a stray can of cola that sat amongst the debris in the vicinity, Louis launched it at the back of Jackhammer's head ... hitting his target dead on before further provoking the villain to attack him. Which of course the thuggish Jackhammer obliged him with in short-order. Nevertheless, Sadler Junior was no mere thug, but a highly sklled combatant, and as such he mananged to out-finese the villain for several moments.

During the course of their scuffle, and in response to Junior's inquiries, Jackhammer revealed that in the wake of his defeat by Thunder was shipped back to the U.S. where he served a tiny portion of sentence, because, as he put it, "even American Judges know that you Canucks are a buncha pansies."

Inevitably though Jackhammer caught Sadler Jr. with a punch that sent him flying back and partially trapped beneath a pile of debris. But as a sneering Jackhammer began to make his way over to the trapped hero, Major Mapleleaf rose back up on shakey legs, calling out a challenge to the villain.

Again, Jackahmmer was more than happy to oblige. And barely able to stand as he was, Major Mapleleaf began to take a severe beating, even as Junior struggled frantically, hopelessly, to free himself.

Meanwhile, Morningstar found his hands more than full with the electical generator, Voltiac, who boasted that he'd received "up-grades" since he faced Morningstar's predecessor, Thunder. However, after the exchgnage of several photon and electical blasts, and a short game of Roman-knuckles, Morningstar shrugged the villain off and and hit him with a punch that sent him flying through a wall and into a nearby office building.

With that he turned to Jackhammer, who the synthoid found still pounding on a Major Mapleleaf that dangled limp in his grip.

Moving quickly to the WW II heroes aid, Morningstar engaged Jackhammer in an angry fist-i-cuff before, as winded as he was, he began to find himself on the receiving end of it. At this point, the synthoid took to the air, again surrounding himself in a shield of solid light, and completely turned the tables. Nevertheless, while Jackahmmer briefly found himself buffetted by photon blast after photon blast, Voltiac emerged from the office building. He immediately transformed into "living lightning" and arced straight for the synthoid, shattering his shield and sending him plummetting to the other earth once more.

And with that, the two villains began to swarm on the synthoid again, with Morningstar forced completely onto the defensive. And indeed, they might well have been in a position to deliver the coupe de grace, when Aurora suddenly appeared between the hero and the villains and hit them with a flash of blinding light. This was immedaitely followed by a blur (Northstar) that raced through the scene, grabbing Jackhammer and briefly taking him along for the ride before coming to a sudden stop even as he let the villain go ... thus sending him head long into and through a concrete wall.

With the appearance of Northstar and Aurora, and the intel of an approaching Epislon Shuttle they received over their head-sets, Voltiac and Jackhammer would teleported away, courtesy of the Renegades.

At last struggling free, Sadler Jr. raced over ot his father, who he found barely clinging to life. Together with Northstar he did what he could to keep his father alive until the Epsilons and med units arrived. Which they did within moments.

Aurora helped Morningstar back to his feet, and as he thanked her helpiung him out (again), the synthoid noticed a Renegade in severely damaged battle armour trying to crawl into a nearby building.

He immedaitely took control of the injured merc and turned him over to the Epsilons.

Within days of the battle, Powersurge, who had since emerged from his coma and was enjoying some R'N'R in England, was ordered back to Canada.